Chapter ThirtySeven Or How It Should've Ended
by j'ecrive.en.anglais
Summary: Something that should have happened after the Battle of Hogwarts. Mild idiot!Ron and idiot!Ginny. That is all.


She found him in a deserted classroom. It was the same deserted classroom in which he had comforted her (had it really only been a year ago?) after Ron had started dating Lavender. She walked over and sat beside him, but she didn't say anything. After a few minutes (or it could've been a few hours), he looked up.

"What're you doing still awake?"

She smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing. You just saved the world, Harry. If anyone deserves a nap, it would have to be you."

"I know. It's just… I have too much in my head… too much on my mind…" Hermione put her hand on his.

"Yeah." she said, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. The morning sun shone through the window, leaving odd patterns across their faces.

"Harry?" she said, after a while.

"Yeah?" he responded, a little too quickly.

"I… You were amazing, Harry. You saved us all, and, and you ended the war… But there are some things I don't understand. I mean, that business with Snape…"

"Don't worry. I'll tell you everything, just as soon as I feel up to it. I don't want to keep secrets from you, 'Mione. You're the one person I've had by my side from the start."

She frowned. "But Ron." she started, but he frowned, and pulled his hand away.

"What about Ron? Remember during our fourth year, when he thought I'd put my name in the cup? Remember how he left us, because he didn't like our cooking?" Harry seemed to realize what he was saying, and sighed. "I just don't know with him anymore. Look, I'm sorry. I know you love him. I should just go." He turned and headed for the door, leaving Hermione still sitting on a desk. But he paused in the doorframe, and stared back at her.

"Hermione." he finally said.

"Yes?" she said, a little too quickly. They both smiled.

"Hermione, Lupin and Sirius are dead. They were the last of my family. There's no one left who I would trust with my life. No one but you."

Almost unconsciously, he took a few steps towards her.

"But what about Ginny?"

Harry scowled. "She couldn't wait for me. While we were off saving the wizarding world, she was busy getting her claws into Michael, then Dean," Hermione winced, "and on my way here, I almost ran into her and Seamus celebrating in the Charms corridor."

"Oh, Harry."

"Don't be sorry for me. I was only going to break it off. I know who I really want, anyhow."

They stood there, looking at each other, almost touching, for a long while (or perhaps just a few minutes).

"Harry, you're the only person who doesn't make fun of me for reading books. There's no one I'd rather have spent the last seven years of my life with." she finally burst out.

He leaned down, and kissed her. She stiffened at first, but then softened and relaxed. When he pulled away, she smiled a little.

"Harry, I've got a boyfriend."

"And I've got a girlfriend."

"Weasleys." They said together, and Harry laughed.

"I've been thinking. I don't want to have to deal with the circus that's coming." Harry said. "Do you?"

"No." Hermione said firmly. "I've had quite enough with the Daily Prophet and their reporters."

"So why don't we just leave?"

"What?"

"We should just leave. You've got that bag; I've got an invisibility cloak. We can sneak out the statue of the one eyed witch, and Apparate out of Hogsmeade. Ron can answer all the questions."

"He did always want more attention." Hermione chuckled. "But where can we go?"

"Australia." he said at once, leaving Hermione to think that this wasn't just a spur of the moment decision. "We can fetch your parents, and go from there."

"All right, it's a deal." she said, as he pulled her to the door. "But Harry?"

"What?"

"No camping, all right?"

He laughed.

"No camping."

Ron Weasley yawned, and almost hit Lavender Brown in the face. She was lying haphazardly across his bare chest, in the same position they had been in when Hermione had come up to bed earlier that morning, though they didn't know it. He looked down at her regretfully. He knew that this sort of thing was going to become a lot less common, now that he was dating Hermione Granger. Luckily for him, though, Lavender didn't care who he was dating, so this little fling wouldn't be entirely a thing of the past.

He rolled over, expecting to see his best friend Harry lying in the next bed. He was surprised to see it empty, and looking as though it hadn't been slept in. He shrugged off Lavender, and padded over to the bed. On the pillow, there was a note that said Ron in Hermione's distinct handwriting. He frowned, and flipped it open.

_Ron Weasley,_

_ Harry and I are leaving. Make something up for everyone, won't you? We're not sure when we'll be back, but we'll post McGonagall regularly. Harry says to tell Ginny to have fun with Seamus. As for you- just be glad this isn't a Howler. _

_Hermione Granger_

_PS Make something up for the Daily Prophet, won't you?_

Ron sank to the floor, the letter held tight in his fist.

On his bed, Lavender moaned in her sleep.


End file.
